1959.20.3.1

Ancient Egyptian green faience shabti, holding a hoe in each hand with a bag on its back. 1000 - 700 B.C. Egyptian faience is a glass-like substance made from sand or quartz and a binding liquid. This created a natural glaze when heated that could be coloured using copper salts, giving the distinctive blue and green colours. Ancient Egyptians believed that they would have to do farming work during their afterlife, so a 'shabti', a small figurine often holding an agricultural tool, was placed in the tomb. The shabti represented a servant who would magically come to life and work for their master, so he or she could relax.